<p>I see VTEch offers this as a Graduate degree? Other schools are offering Biomedical engineering as undergrad degree. Seeing as vtech is really a great engineering school, it makes me wonder why? I have read that it is a new field, I don't know anything about engineering, so can anyone comment?</p>
<p>Virginia Tech probably realizes that they will get better results in the Biomedical field from students who have already completed a degree related to Biomedical Engineering rather than letting students start in that major. It is also an easier path to make it a graduate degree.</p>
<p>Think of it like this:</p>
<p>There are research facilities all over the world. All of them are looking for cures to diseases, better technology to find many types of cancers, better prosthetic materials and surgical procedures, and the advantages of stem cells.</p>
<p>Someone who has majored in Biology or Chemistry and goes for BME as a graduate student already has this knowledge. They know about molecular biology, genetics, organic chemistry, etc. The graduate degree does not have to spend time on the “basics.” If BME was an undergrad degree at Virginia Tech, it would probably be a 5-6 year degree like Architecture. It would also have to spend time on core classes in the fields of Biology and Chemistry. In order to do effective research in BME, you need to have this knowledge already mastered. It would take at least 2-3 years of just Bio/Chem courses just to get to the point where you could start doing the engineering part of the major. It is just too complex for an undergrad degree. </p>
<p>I don’t know why other colleges are offering BME as undergrad. I don’t think it is very productive to train someone in BME in 4 years and send them out looking for a job in research. If I was an employer and knew that Virginia Tech was doing their program as graduate and another college was offering it as 4 year undergrad, I would definitely pick Virginia Tech. </p>
<p>On another note, if you are interested in combining Biology and Engineering, you could always major in Biological Systems Engineering. It isn’t the same as Biomedical, but it does combine the fields in a different way.</p>
<p>[Biological</a> Systems Engineering home](<a href=“http://www.bse.vt.edu/08/ugprog/pages.php?event=Undergrad%20Overview]Biological”>http://www.bse.vt.edu/08/ugprog/pages.php?event=Undergrad%20Overview)</p>
<p>James, Thank you for taking the time to respond…I kinda thought that was the thing… I have read that although a lot of good schools are offering the major, as undergrad, it is really too much to combine into 4 years, and it really is not enough bio and not enough engineering to be a worthwile undergrad degree…not marketable… I have read probably should do chem or mech engineeeing as undergrad degree and bioengineering as graduate degree, if you decide to continue. I know VTECH has a mega reputation in undergrad engineering, and if it was a worthwhile undergrad engineering degree, they probably would have it. Do you agree?</p>
<p>No, just because VT doesn’t have an engineering program doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. For example, I would consider a nuclear engineering degree to be very useful, but VT does not have one. Different schools have different focuses and even a school with an engineering program like Virginia Tech has neither unlimited funding nor unlimited focus to spend on every worthwhile program. </p>
<p>A biomedical engineering degree is somewhat limiting compared to other engineering degrees but it could still be a good degree. And once VT’s Med school is a bit more mature (remember, it’s only existed for a few years) it wouldn’t surprise me to see a biomedical undergrad track, if not full fledged program. It just isn’t something that is offered now. If that sort of thing interests you I would suggest going into Materials Science; I know two people from my graduating class (of ~20) from MSE are currently in grad school for BME so it seems to have worked out well for them. There isn’t a specific track for it that I’m aware of, but there are professors in MSE that do research in that area and the advisers in MSE will allow you to qualify basically anything that you can come up with some reasonable justification for as a Tech Elective.</p>
<p>I’m also in materials science, and it is a very good undergrad degree to choose if you really want to get a masters in BME. There’s a couple of biomaterials courses that the MSE department offers.</p>
<p>Although I like to advocate for my own major, I also know that the Engineering Science and Mechanics department is very good for a BME degree. In fact, you can specialize in Biomechanics!~(which, when I last looked at it was really interesting). You should really checkout the degree checksheets for MSE and ESM, however. You’ll notice that ESM students have to take 17-18 credits each semester (with little free electives), while MSE students get more leeway. My main point is that ESM is probably better if you want a BME degree, but your chances of graduating in 4 years are quite slim.</p>